Australia's cricketers said Wednesday they were relieved Cricket Australia cancelled their planned tour of Pakistan this month over security concerns, admitting they feared for their safety.

Batsman Michael Clarke said the decision had avoided the possibility of boycotts from individual players, several of who had previously publicly voiced fears about security in Pakistan.

All-rounder Andrew Symonds was the most vocal, admitting last month he would likely have made himself unavailable if the tour went ahead.

"I don't think 'disappointed' is the right word -- I'm rapt (delighted) Cricket Australia and the ACA made the decision and it didn't have to come down to individual players," Clarke told reporters Wednesday, referring also to the Australian Cricketers' Association.

"I'm happy it's been sorted out without the players' involvement. I'm very relieved and happy they've done that for the playing group."

Clarke dismissed comments Tuesday, the day Australia made its announcement, by Pakistan's former Australian bowler Geoff Lawson, who said the tour should have gone ahead.

"My opinion is Geoff can stay there as long as he likes," was Clarke's terse reply.

Test paceman Stuart Clark agreed he was equally relieved.

"I don't think anyone likes it when a cricket tour gets called off because that's our job, but there was obviously concerns from everyone involved.

"We were getting third-hand information, reading the papers and listening to the news on the TV and we were obviously getting the sensational news about bombings and stuff like that."

He added, "It's probably no secret that we were really concerned."

"Each player was asked if they were keen to go or not but it just came down to the board -- I think Cricket Australia did have the final say," said fast bowler Brett Lee.

"I think the hardest thing was not knowing -- over the past couple of weeks we didn't really know what was going on, no-one was sure what tour was coming up."

CA chief executive James Sutherland said his organisation took advice from the Pakistan Cricket Board, the Pakistani and Australian governments and independent security consultants before making a decision.

"I am not sure that there was necessarily a belief that cricketers would be specific targets," he told national radio Wednesday.

"But there was enough risk for us to be sufficiently concerned to tell the Pakistanis that in the circumstances we didn't think we would be able to tour right now."

The postponement frees up the likes of Symonds, Lee, Matthew Hayden and Australian skipper Ricky Ponting to play a larger role in the lucrative Indian Premier League, which begins on April 18.

The Australians' decision not to tour came on the same day suicide attackers detonated two huge truck bombs in Lahore, killing 26 people.

Lahore had been one of the cities the Australians were due to play in.